Mobile communication devices are prevalent in society today. A mobile communication device usually contains certain preset content when it is delivered to a consumer. The content may include, for example, the operating system for the device (e.g. Graphical User Interface) and standard applications (e.g. calendar, alarm clock, games, etc.).
Generally, the content of the mobile communication device changes over its life cycle. For example, users of the device may customize the device according to their preferences by storing additional personal information (e.g. adding a personal phonebook) or manipulating the factory preset information (e.g. replacing the factory wallpaper with a personal photo, installing additional applications).
In some circumstances, the mobile communication device may be reassigned, passed-on, or otherwise repurposed for a variety of reasons. In such circumstances and in other circumstances, it is desirable for content of the mobile communication device be reset to only contain specified preset content. For this purpose, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the device usually provides one or more tools (e.g. software applications) that can modify the content of the mobile communication device. For example, the OEM content-modification tool may be resident on a computer and is operable to remove all content stored in a mobile communication device connected to the computer and reinstall the operating system for that device.
The content-modification tools supplied by the OEM are generally designed for the end-user. As such, the OEM content-modification tools are not designed, tested nor optimized for use by a user who wishes to modify the content of devices on a larger scale. For example, a user such as a refurbisher or a corporate technology deployment department may wish to bulk-process the modification of the content of the devices.
In the cases described above, the OEM content-modification tool may be found to be lacking for a number of reasons. For example, the OEM content-modification tool usually requires at least some input by an operator of the tool to complete the process of modifying the content of a connected mobile communication device. Generally, the operator input may be required at various stages of the process, which requires an operator to check on the system from time to time to provide the required input.
For some devices, more than one OEM content-modification tools may be required to complete the desired content modification process. For example, to reset the contents of a Blackberry™ device manufactured by Research In Motion inc. (RIM), several operations need to be performed using several tools. This again would require input by the operator to complete the process.
In yet another example, the data communication between the mobile communication device and the computer where the OEM content-modification tool is residing on may be lost. This could be due to issues on the computer (e.g. driver conflicts) or from execution of an operation by the OEM content-modification tool (e.g. removing the operating system from the device would cause the device to be reset, which cause the connection to the computer to be lost). In these cases, an operator is required to re-establish the connection. This may involve the operator having to physically unplug the device and reconnect the device to the computer to re-establish connection. In addition, connection between the device and the computer can be lost at multiple times during the process, which requires the operator to intervene at multiple times for the process to complete successfully. To further complicate matters, if a mobile communication device is unplugged as the process to modify the content is being modified, there is a risk that the device will lose its functionality, resulting in a “bricked” phone.
In view of the above, there is a need for a system and method to modify the content of mobile communication devices that address at least some of the above noted concerns